Populations of bees have dramatically declined in recent years. At the same time, insecticide application in agro-ecosystems has largely increased worldwide. As a result, investigating the effects of insecticide exposure on bees is vital to ensure future food security and environmental stewardship. Here, we simulated a field realistic exposure scenario of female blue orchard bees, <i>Osmia lignaria </i>(Say) to four premix insecticides (containing two or more active ingredients, each with a different mode of action). A spray tower was used in a laboratory setting. We sprayed bees with one of four premix insecticides in petri dishes and immediately transferred them to clean cages. To simulate realistic grower insecticide application in orchards and subsequent bee exposure, we used formulated products as opposed to technical grade insecticides placed in a distilled water solvent as opposed to acetone. We quantified the resulting mortality of bees from single spray exposure to these insecticides at 24, 48, 72 and 96-hours post-treatment. Bioassay results will be discussed and presented

Toxicity of premixed insecticide chemistries to blue orchard bees

2019 Fall National Meeting

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